Dan Mullen Updates Injury Status Of Elam, Cox and Davis
Following the No. 20 Florida Gators 42-0 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores, UF head coach Dan Mullen updated the injury status of several key players.
Kaiir Elam
Corner Kaiir Elam and running back Malik Davis were both sidelined the entire game. Elam has now missed three games in a row (Tennessee, Kentucky and Vanderbilt). The young secondary, baptized by fire a bit, has responded, with Avery Helm becoming the veteran and freshman Jason Marshall stepping up to become a stingy corner.
Still, Elam is one of the best defensive backs in the country, a smothering cover corner who has a textbook swipe for a pass break up move. Getting him back ahead of LSU can be crucial. And on Saturday, Mullen shared the plan is for him to be suited up in Baton Rouge next week.
“I was hoping. [He was] today right on the edge. He warmed up. I think everybody saw him go out and warm up. You know, it was going to be a game-time decision for us. Talking to him, he wanted to play. Talking to the trainers, they said you know, we could get him out there if we had to, possibly, in an emergency and so that gets on me.
"If a trainer says that to me, get him out there in case of an emergency is not real confidence of what I’m looking for to get a guy on the field. We made the decision, I met with him after warmups. He’s like, ‘I’m ready to go.’ I said, “No, we’re not even going to dress you.’ As he said, he’s like coach, trust me, I will be ready next week.”
Malik Davis and Richard Gouraige
The senior running back Davis was unable to play today with an undisclosed injury. Mullen said as it became clear during the week that Davis would be out, the game plan folding in Nay'quan Wright more and more. Wright finished with seven rushes for 46 yards and two receptions for 57 yards.
As for the injury updates of both guys, the head coach says they'll know more in the new week.
"We’ll find out. We’ll find that out more after the weekend with the trainers, meet with everybody, where everybody’s at. See if they’re going to be ready to go. We’ve got a lot of guys down, a lot of guys not practice. Hopefully we’re going to get some more guys back next week but next guy’s got to step up and be ready to go play."
Brenton Cox
Cox was limited in practice this week, but the outside linebacker pushed through to play, according to Mullen. Unfortunately for Cox, that was only able to last a half and he came out of the locker room in street clothes and his jersey top. Through the first half, Cox was able to notch two tackles and a quarterback hurry.
“A little banged up. Again, he got banged up. I wasn’t sure he even was going to play, to be honest with you," revealed Mullen after Saturday's game. "Coming into Thursday’s practice I wasn’t expecting him to play. Came and did a great job getting himself ready and played in the game Saturday. At halftime, I think we got a bunch out of him, he was a little sore so we got him out of there in the second half.”
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